Mixed Opinions of “Cops” in Hazleton

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HAZLETON -- The 4th Street pub in Hazleton was buzzing on a Saturday night.

Usually, patrons in the pub are watching college football games, but on Saturday night, all eyes were locked on TV screens airing the television show "Cops".

In its 29th season, the new episode of “Cops” highlighted crime in Hazleton.

John Skuntz watches the show that follows officers as they respond to emergencies. After living in Hazleton for thirty years, John says seeing the show feature his neighborhood and the places he spends time in is surreal.

“It is a little weird seeing it because you usually see big cities like in Los Angeles or like New York and all that. Hazleton is a small town, but we're over populated and have so much crime that I think something had to be done,” said Skuntz, a Hazleton native.

Others like Richard Harashak say the episode didn't highlight the real criminal activity going on in the streets of Hazleton.

“A dog being abused with all the crime going down in this town... It’s not good,” said Harashak.

According to Hazleton Police Chief Jerry Speziale, crime has dropped since the show's cameras first appeared.

He also says this show gives people an idea of what law enforcement deals with on a daily basis.

“Nationally, we've seen a number of things that have gone on with police work. This allows people to see the great restraint that our officers use,” said the Hazleton Police Chief.

Keman Jackson, a Hazleton resident, says this may be one of the first steps in helping to heal the relationship between police and the people they serve and protect.

“If we have to see what the police have to go through, hopefully, people can see that, and everyone is here to do their job. They want to do a job, go home, and take crime off the streets,” said Jackson.

This is the first of three episodes featuring the city of Hazleton and its police force on Spike TV.

SMELL MY FINGER

Gerald Filtz

This is where Trump’s message hits home for a lot of people. America should be welcoming to immigrants, but we have every right to keep out those who would harm us or our country in any way. Hazleton is a good example. The majority of immigrants over the years have been an asset to the city. But there is a significant criminal element among them that needs to be rooted out. All Trump is saying is that we should vet them and not let them in in the first place.

Really?

Really: I’ve always petitioned to build a wall along the Delaware river to keep the Jersey goons out but your wrong, Hazleton’s illegals have always came from Mexico. 7 1/2 years ago it all started with as a secret government relocation sanctuary city. I thought everybody already new that.

Larry

It may have been a better show if LA Tarone was doing a rolling commentary while they were filming…” here we are at the corner of 4th and Main now back in 1965 66 67 there was a Texaco station here that became a deli in 1974 75 76 then that building became a recording studio for one of the biggest radio hit of 1978 79 i actually have a copy of the lease when that top 40 hit song was recorded maybe in the week of September 14th 15th 1979 it climbed to number 5 or 4 in the country………” Maybe after that LA Tyrone could have done an intro to the next segment pretending he is radio legend Bob Grant. Just a few ideas i had

Lady

It must be horrible living in this so called city. I consider it a cesspool. Who do you people do it? Is it hard to survive in this city if you don’t know how to speak Spanish? Does it feel like your living in a foreign land? I couldn’t imagine.